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Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Orion Thornton

PV Instructor

Orion has been involved in the solar energy industry for over ten years, both as an industry professional and as an advocate through education and community outreach. In 2006 Orion earned an A.A.S. degree in Photovoltaic Installation and Design from San Juan College. In 2008 he became certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as a Solar PV Installation Professional. He is currently on the board of directors for the Montana Renewable Energy Association (MREA), playing an active role in the organizations goal of promoting renewable energy awareness throughout the state.
As a partner/owner of Onsite Energy Inc., Orion focuses on commercial solar project development, but wears many hats within the company, including sales, design, installation, and operations and maintenance procedures.
Orion is a Montana native who grew up off-the grid and currently resides in net-zero energy home, powered by solar electricity, solar hot water, and wood heat. Dedicated to a lifetime of teaching, living, and working with renewable energy technologies, he is hopeful for our clean energy future.
Outside of work he tries to spend as much time as possible within the many Montana wilderness areas...backcountry snowboarding, backpacking, boating, and enjoying the open spaces.
NABCEP Technical Sales Certification #PVTS081112-69

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Zeke Yewdall

Zeke Yewdall grew up with off-grid PV in eastern Washington, and two engineering degrees later, decided to make a career of solar starting in 2002. He has designed and built grid-tied PV systems between 200 watts and 200kW, and off grid systems between 10 watts and 10kW. He also experiments with wind turbines at his home in the mountains of Colorado, as well as working on other projects such as electric cars, biodiesel vehicles, and doing lots of hiking and mountain climbing with his two giant Newfamutes. He holds NABCEP and CoSEIA certification for PV installation and has completed SEI courses in PV, solar thermal, wind, and microhydro power as well as teaching courses in solar.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Brian Mehalic

PV Curriculum Developer and Trainer

Brian Mehalic is a NABCEP-certified PV professional and IREC-certified PV instructor with over 12 years of experience designing, installing, servicing, and inspecting all types and sizes of PV systems.
He began his career as Lead Installer and Project Manager at EV Solar Products in Arizona, where he was directly responsible for the design and installation of over 150 photovoltaic systems, ranging from residential off-grid to commercial grid-interactive.
For the past several years he worked as Project Engineer for O2 Energies in North Carolina, advising the developer on system design, modeling performance, and performing quality assurance inspections on over 23 megawatts of ground-mounted PV.
Currently he is a curriculum developer and instructor for Solar Energy International and North Carolina State University, a frequent contributor to SolarPro and Home Power magazines, and an independent consultant providing services ranging from system design and quality assurance inspections to commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance.

Justine Sanchez

Justine has been with Solar Energy International since May 1998. Before coming to SEI Justine obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Colorado - Boulder. She worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for two years in the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Division. After leavingNREL, Justine worked with EV Solar Products in Chino Valley performing photovoltaic system installations. Currently, Justine is Home Power Magazine's principal technical editor. She's been a NABCEP certified PV Installer and is certified by IREC as an Affiliated Master Trainer in Photovoltaics. She instructs SEI's PV202 Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid-Direct) and Battery-based lab weeks.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Chuck Marken

Chuck Marken is an instructor for Solar Energy International and a licensed Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC-R contractor in NM. He started installing solar water heating systems in 1979 and PV systems in 1983. Chuck is also a technical editor for Home Power and SolarPro magazines and has authored more than 50 articles on solar topics. He has hands on experience selling, installing and servicing hundreds of solar energy systems of all types - including off grid and grid connected PV systems, hot water and swimming pool solar systems. After founding and owning AAA Solar for more than 25 years, he sold the company in 2010. He has, through contracts with Sandia National Laboratories supporting the US Department of Energy, served as a subject matter expert for the Solar Instructor Training Network and Solar America Cities program. He has also taught classes and workshops for numerous other educational and not for profit organizations in the US and is the co-author of the current NABCEP Solar Heating Resource Guide.

Jack O'Donohue

Instructor

Jack began his shift from commercial real estate to solar sales by focusing on efficiency first. Jack studied with The U.S. Green Building Council and became a LEED® AP.He then attended the full slate of courses offered by The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (The MREA) in Wind, Solar Domestic Hot Water, and PV. He became an MREA Certified Solar Site Assessor® in PV & Solar Domestic Hot Water. Jack is also an alumnus of Solar Energy International's PVOL202, Advanced PV System Design and the NEC, and PVOL206, Solar Business and Technical Sales.Jack has installed PV systems on Habitat for Humanity homes in Milwaukee and on his home in the western suburbs of Chicago. He regularly demonstrates his system to local green, school, and U.S. Veteran groups.He is an Instructor for SEI's PVOL206 Solar Business and Technical Sales. He is also an Instructor for The MREA in PV (Basic, Intermediate Design, and Installation Workshops), Solar Domestic Hot Water (Basic), and a conference speaker (Maximizing Renewable Energy in Commercial Real Estate).Jack has been a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®; a NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales® professional; a Global Reporting Initiative reporter; and a Climate Reality Leadership Corps speaker. He has worked in client development for a Chicago based PV installer and now works in collaborative, direct, dealer sales for an international distributor of PV components.

He serves as a Member of the Board for the Illinois Solar Energy Association.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Karo Fernandez

SEI Instructor

Karo Fernández works as a PV instructor for SEI´s English and Spanish programs, as well as in curriculum development and translations for the SEI´s Spanish Program. Karo´s from Costa Rica, and has always been passionate about renewable energies. She began her PV career after graduating from Mechanical Engineering at the University of Costa Rica. Since 2009, she has worked in regional PV market and industry development for Latin America, development of functioning business models for renewable energies in developing countries, PV design, inspection and installation, energy efficiency return of investment calculations, and many other related areas. She has been working as a consultant since 2011, devoted to renewable energy generation and energy savings. She’s based out of Madrid, Spain, and consults for companies in Central and North America.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Bill Hoffer

Instructor

Bill Hoffer has been working in the solar industry in the Pacific North-West for over 16 years. He is an SEI Alumini since 1994, a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer, and a Professional Mechanical Engineer in Washington State. His first job in solar industry with Applied Power Corporation was designing remote off-grid mountaintop cell sites, when 10kW were considered “big” systems. In 1995 he designed the 360kW (160 kW installed in 1996) off-grid system with generator backup at Dangling Rope Marina on Lake Powell, the largest National Park system in the US at that time. He has worked as a designer and installer of residential and commercial systems up to 500 kW. In addition he has designed and tested Balance of System components for Trace Engineering and Outback Power Systems, as well as an innovative solar module system for Silicon Energy. He currently runs his own consulting business, Sunergy Engineering Services PLLC, focused on commissioning utility scale and BIPV systems. He also lives in a strawbale home he designed and built himself and is an avid gardener and ski and dance instructor.

David Del Vecchio

Instructor

David Del Vecchio is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering. He entered the PV industry in 1998 in North Carolina designing, installing and managing off-grid installations. Since 2005, David is President of Solar Seed, Inc. performing design, 3rd party QA and inspections, commissioning, troubleshooting as well as in house training for residential, commercial and utility PV system integrators. While Senior Engineer at Strata Solar, David was responsible for quality control from equipment specification, engineering drawings, construction through commissioning and O&M on over 250MW. David is a NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional since 2005 and IREC Certified Master Trainer in PV since 2010. David is also the primary instructor since 2006 for PV courses at the North Carolina Solar Center at NC State University. David started teaching for Solar Energy International in 2008.
David Del Vecchio, IREC Certified Master TrainerTM for PV Installation Professional

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Justine Sanchez

Justine has been with Solar Energy International since May 1998. Before coming to SEI Justine obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Colorado - Boulder. She worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for two years in the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Division. After leavingNREL, Justine worked with EV Solar Products in Chino Valley performing photovoltaic system installations. Currently, Justine is Home Power Magazine's principal technical editor. She's been a NABCEP certified PV Installer and is certified by IREC as an Affiliated Master Trainer in Photovoltaics. She instructs SEI's PV202 Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid-Direct) and Battery-based lab weeks.

Rebekah Hren

PV Curriculum Developer and Trainer

Rebekah Hren has been teaching PV workshops for Solar Energy International since 2007. A North Carolina native, her first PV system was a 300 watt array for her own off-grid cob house. She worked as a residential system installer and designer for Honey Electric Solar, and now works with O2energies on utility scale arrays. Her focus is quality control, Code-compliance, and maintenance. Rebekah is a licensed electrician and NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professional. She frequently writes technical articles for Home Power and SolarPro magazines, and has co-authored several books: A Solar Buyer's Guide for Home and Office, and The Carbon-Free Home. Rebekah spends a lot of her free time pondering the meaning of the National Electrical Code.

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Brad Burkhartzmeyer

SEI Instructor

Brad Burkhartzmeyer is an experienced solar system designer, installer, and Solar Energy International alumnus. He founded Sun's Eye Power Company--a solar energy and electrical contracting company--in 1993. Brad is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)Certified Solar PV Installer who has spearheaded efforts to bring solar lighting to a women's college in India together with Rotary International. Brad has worked in Rwanda and solar systems for the Make it Right foundation in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Brad has helped install renewable energy systems in the developing nations of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Rwanda, and India. He trains installers and teaches classes for community groups wishing to know more about solar possibilities for their own homes. Brad is vice president of the non-profit energy education group Northwest Solar Group in the Puget Sound region. he is co-chair of the Always On solar project that is seeking to establish vocational training for solar installers in developing nations.

Karo Fernandez

SEI Instructor

Karo Fernández works as a PV instructor for SEI´s English and Spanish programs, as well as in curriculum development and translations for the SEI´s Spanish Program. Karo´s from Costa Rica, and has always been passionate about renewable energies. She began her PV career after graduating from Mechanical Engineering at the University of Costa Rica. Since 2009, she has worked in regional PV market and industry development for Latin America, development of functioning business models for renewable energies in developing countries, PV design, inspection and installation, energy efficiency return of investment calculations, and many other related areas. She has been working as a consultant since 2011, devoted to renewable energy generation and energy savings. She’s based out of Madrid, Spain, and consults for companies in Central and North America.

Mike Sullivan

SEI Instructor

Mike started working as a renewable energy professional in 1999. He's an electrical engineer and a licensed plumber -- a somewhat odd combination! He owns a small business designing, installing and servicing photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, with a specialty in off-grid installations in remote locations. His main interests lie in renewable energy projects for developing nations, to help improve water supplies, medical care, sanitation, and education. He's installed PV systems in Haitian hospitals, Tibetan schools and monasteries, Canadian backcountry huts, and remote homes and cabins in the USA. Mike built and lived in an off-grid strawbale home in rural Colorado for 10 years, and has a strong interest in backcountry skiing, rock climbing, and mountaineering. Other favorite activities include practicing yoga, playing acoustic guitar, and volunteering with search and rescue.

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Chuck Marken

Chuck Marken is an instructor for Solar Energy International and a licensed Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC-R contractor in NM. He started installing solar water heating systems in 1979 and PV systems in 1983. Chuck is also a technical editor for Home Power and SolarPro magazines and has authored more than 50 articles on solar topics. He has hands on experience selling, installing and servicing hundreds of solar energy systems of all types - including off grid and grid connected PV systems, hot water and swimming pool solar systems. After founding and owning AAA Solar for more than 25 years, he sold the company in 2010. He has, through contracts with Sandia National Laboratories supporting the US Department of Energy, served as a subject matter expert for the Solar Instructor Training Network and Solar America Cities program. He has also taught classes and workshops for numerous other educational and not for profit organizations in the US and is the co-author of the current NABCEP Solar Heating Resource Guide.

Vaughan Woodruff

Vaughan Woodruff is owner of Insource Renewables, a solar design/build and consulting firm in Pittsfield, ME. A trained engineer and educator, Vaughan serves diverse roles in the solar heating industry. He is a NABCEP-Certified Solar Heating Installer, serves on committees for NABCEP, IAPMO, and IREC, and was the former lead solar thermal instructor for the Northeast and Northern Mid Atlantic regions of the Department of Energy’s Solar Instructor Training Network. Vaughan is the co- author of the NABCEP Solar Heating Installer Resource Guide, author of NYSERDA’s Field Inspection Guidelines for Solar Heating Systems, and has been published in Home Power and SolarPro magazines. In addition to his work with SEI, Vaughan provides training for a variety of schools and organizations.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Mike Sullivan

SEI Instructor

Mike started working as a renewable energy professional in 1999. He's an electrical engineer and a licensed plumber -- a somewhat odd combination! He owns a small business designing, installing and servicing photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, with a specialty in off-grid installations in remote locations. His main interests lie in renewable energy projects for developing nations, to help improve water supplies, medical care, sanitation, and education. He's installed PV systems in Haitian hospitals, Tibetan schools and monasteries, Canadian backcountry huts, and remote homes and cabins in the USA. Mike built and lived in an off-grid strawbale home in rural Colorado for 10 years, and has a strong interest in backcountry skiing, rock climbing, and mountaineering. Other favorite activities include practicing yoga, playing acoustic guitar, and volunteering with search and rescue.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Justine Sanchez

Justine has been with Solar Energy International since May 1998. Before coming to SEI Justine obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Colorado - Boulder. She worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for two years in the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Division. After leavingNREL, Justine worked with EV Solar Products in Chino Valley performing photovoltaic system installations. Currently, Justine is Home Power Magazine's principal technical editor. She's been a NABCEP certified PV Installer and is certified by IREC as an Affiliated Master Trainer in Photovoltaics. She instructs SEI's PV202 Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid-Direct) and Battery-based lab weeks.

Khanti Munro

Khanti Munro, a NABCEP Certified PV Professional and former ISPQ Certified Instructor for Photovoltaic Courses, has been involved in the Renewable Energy field since 2001. Earning a self-designed degree in Renewable Energy Applications from Green Mountain College in VT, Khanti got his start installing systems for some of his off-grid professors. He has held many respectable roles in the industry - as a trainer and program manager with Solar Energy International, an occasional Home Power magazine author, a technical dealer trainer with SunEdison (multi-national corporation), and now as Director of Development & Technical Design with Same Sun of Vermont, Inc. Having designed and project managed over 500kW of PV systems, Khanti also very much enjoys off-grid work, parenting (has a 7 year old and a two year old), frisbee, and sleep.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Chris Brooks

SEI Instructor

Chris has a Masters of Science degree in Renewable Energy from Murdoch University. His interest in renewable energy was sparked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador and he continues to pursue solar energy as an enabling technology for sustainable, rural development. Chris has worked on the design, installation and training programs for solar projects in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and throughout the Americas. He is a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer who lives and installs solar in the ‘sunny’ Puget Sound region of Washington State.

Zeke Yewdall

Zeke Yewdall grew up with off-grid PV in eastern Washington, and two engineering degrees later, decided to make a career of solar starting in 2002. He has designed and built grid-tied PV systems between 200 watts and 200kW, and off grid systems between 10 watts and 10kW. He also experiments with wind turbines at his home in the mountains of Colorado, as well as working on other projects such as electric cars, biodiesel vehicles, and doing lots of hiking and mountain climbing with his two giant Newfamutes. He holds NABCEP and CoSEIA certification for PV installation and has completed SEI courses in PV, solar thermal, wind, and microhydro power as well as teaching courses in solar.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Kelly Larson

"Solar Kelly" Larson operates a renewable energy design, installation and repair service in Northern Mendocino County, CA. She is an electrical engineer, and an Electrical Contractor, (CA license # 868189). Kelly spent seven years with Alternative Energy Engineering, (now AEE Solar), as a staff engineer, has taught solar and electricity classes since 1996. She is an IREC certified Master Trainer, and delights in simplifying complex concepts for her students.

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Jay Peltz

Instructor

Jay Peltz has been working in the renewable energy field since 1993. He spent from 1994 to 2000 working as the head designer and head of technical support for AEE Solar. In 2000, Jay started his own business specializing in installing and consulting in off-grid solar, water pumping and micro hydro installations. He has lived off the grid for ten years on a 40 acre homestead with solar electric, solar thermal and micro hydro power. Although most of his work is in his local Northern California area, he has done installations in South and Central America, Asia, and many locations here in North America. Jay is an SEI graduate of 1993 and has been teaching with SEI since 1997, his first adventure working with a local Native American tribe. Since then he has taught both here in the US and internationally. When not working he relaxes by surfing and riding his motorcycle.
Jay Peltz, IREC Certified Master TrainerTM for PV Installation Professional

Karo Fernandez

SEI Instructor

Karo Fernández works as a PV instructor for SEI´s English and Spanish programs, as well as in curriculum development and translations for the SEI´s Spanish Program. Karo´s from Costa Rica, and has always been passionate about renewable energies. She began her PV career after graduating from Mechanical Engineering at the University of Costa Rica. Since 2009, she has worked in regional PV market and industry development for Latin America, development of functioning business models for renewable energies in developing countries, PV design, inspection and installation, energy efficiency return of investment calculations, and many other related areas. She has been working as a consultant since 2011, devoted to renewable energy generation and energy savings. She’s based out of Madrid, Spain, and consults for companies in Central and North America.

Paonia, CO

Solar Energy International’s industry-recognized Renewable Energy Lab Facility in Paonia, Colorado is located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and at the base of the 11,395 foot tall Mt. Lamborn. Our educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom in a beautiful location.

Staff consider our location a little piece of heaven, and the best kept secret in solar.

Jay Peltz

Instructor

Jay Peltz has been working in the renewable energy field since 1993. He spent from 1994 to 2000 working as the head designer and head of technical support for AEE Solar. In 2000, Jay started his own business specializing in installing and consulting in off-grid solar, water pumping and micro hydro installations. He has lived off the grid for ten years on a 40 acre homestead with solar electric, solar thermal and micro hydro power. Although most of his work is in his local Northern California area, he has done installations in South and Central America, Asia, and many locations here in North America. Jay is an SEI graduate of 1993 and has been teaching with SEI since 1997, his first adventure working with a local Native American tribe. Since then he has taught both here in the US and internationally. When not working he relaxes by surfing and riding his motorcycle.
Jay Peltz, IREC Certified Master TrainerTM for PV Installation Professional

Brad Burkhartzmeyer

SEI Instructor

Brad Burkhartzmeyer is an experienced solar system designer, installer, and Solar Energy International alumnus. He founded Sun's Eye Power Company--a solar energy and electrical contracting company--in 1993. Brad is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)Certified Solar PV Installer who has spearheaded efforts to bring solar lighting to a women's college in India together with Rotary International. Brad has worked in Rwanda and solar systems for the Make it Right foundation in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Brad has helped install renewable energy systems in the developing nations of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Rwanda, and India. He trains installers and teaches classes for community groups wishing to know more about solar possibilities for their own homes. Brad is vice president of the non-profit energy education group Northwest Solar Group in the Puget Sound region. he is co-chair of the Always On solar project that is seeking to establish vocational training for solar installers in developing nations.

Laboratorio Fotovoltaico de Sistemas Conectados a la Red - Práctico

Brad Burkhartzmeyer

SEI Instructor

Brad Burkhartzmeyer is an experienced solar system designer, installer, and Solar Energy International alumnus. He founded Sun's Eye Power Company--a solar energy and electrical contracting company--in 1993. Brad is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP)Certified Solar PV Installer who has spearheaded efforts to bring solar lighting to a women's college in India together with Rotary International. Brad has worked in Rwanda and solar systems for the Make it Right foundation in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Brad has helped install renewable energy systems in the developing nations of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Rwanda, and India. He trains installers and teaches classes for community groups wishing to know more about solar possibilities for their own homes. Brad is vice president of the non-profit energy education group Northwest Solar Group in the Puget Sound region. he is co-chair of the Always On solar project that is seeking to establish vocational training for solar installers in developing nations.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Justine Sanchez

Justine has been with Solar Energy International since May 1998. Before coming to SEI Justine obtained her Bachelors degree in Physics from the University of Colorado - Boulder. She worked with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for two years in the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Division. After leavingNREL, Justine worked with EV Solar Products in Chino Valley performing photovoltaic system installations. Currently, Justine is Home Power Magazine's principal technical editor. She's been a NABCEP certified PV Installer and is certified by IREC as an Affiliated Master Trainer in Photovoltaics. She instructs SEI's PV202 Advanced PV System Design and the NEC (Grid-Direct) and Battery-based lab weeks.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Brian Mehalic

PV Curriculum Developer and Trainer

Brian Mehalic is a NABCEP-certified PV professional and IREC-certified PV instructor with over 12 years of experience designing, installing, servicing, and inspecting all types and sizes of PV systems.
He began his career as Lead Installer and Project Manager at EV Solar Products in Arizona, where he was directly responsible for the design and installation of over 150 photovoltaic systems, ranging from residential off-grid to commercial grid-interactive.
For the past several years he worked as Project Engineer for O2 Energies in North Carolina, advising the developer on system design, modeling performance, and performing quality assurance inspections on over 23 megawatts of ground-mounted PV.
Currently he is a curriculum developer and instructor for Solar Energy International and North Carolina State University, a frequent contributor to SolarPro and Home Power magazines, and an independent consultant providing services ranging from system design and quality assurance inspections to commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance.

Mike Sullivan

SEI Instructor

Mike started working as a renewable energy professional in 1999. He's an electrical engineer and a licensed plumber -- a somewhat odd combination! He owns a small business designing, installing and servicing photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, with a specialty in off-grid installations in remote locations. His main interests lie in renewable energy projects for developing nations, to help improve water supplies, medical care, sanitation, and education. He's installed PV systems in Haitian hospitals, Tibetan schools and monasteries, Canadian backcountry huts, and remote homes and cabins in the USA. Mike built and lived in an off-grid strawbale home in rural Colorado for 10 years, and has a strong interest in backcountry skiing, rock climbing, and mountaineering. Other favorite activities include practicing yoga, playing acoustic guitar, and volunteering with search and rescue.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Chuck Marken

Chuck Marken is an instructor for Solar Energy International and a licensed Electrical, Plumbing and HVAC-R contractor in NM. He started installing solar water heating systems in 1979 and PV systems in 1983. Chuck is also a technical editor for Home Power and SolarPro magazines and has authored more than 50 articles on solar topics. He has hands on experience selling, installing and servicing hundreds of solar energy systems of all types - including off grid and grid connected PV systems, hot water and swimming pool solar systems. After founding and owning AAA Solar for more than 25 years, he sold the company in 2010. He has, through contracts with Sandia National Laboratories supporting the US Department of Energy, served as a subject matter expert for the Solar Instructor Training Network and Solar America Cities program. He has also taught classes and workshops for numerous other educational and not for profit organizations in the US and is the co-author of the current NABCEP Solar Heating Resource Guide.

Jack O'Donohue

Instructor

Jack began his shift from commercial real estate to solar sales by focusing on efficiency first. Jack studied with The U.S. Green Building Council and became a LEED® AP.He then attended the full slate of courses offered by The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (The MREA) in Wind, Solar Domestic Hot Water, and PV. He became an MREA Certified Solar Site Assessor® in PV & Solar Domestic Hot Water. Jack is also an alumnus of Solar Energy International's PVOL202, Advanced PV System Design and the NEC, and PVOL206, Solar Business and Technical Sales.Jack has installed PV systems on Habitat for Humanity homes in Milwaukee and on his home in the western suburbs of Chicago. He regularly demonstrates his system to local green, school, and U.S. Veteran groups.He is an Instructor for SEI's PVOL206 Solar Business and Technical Sales. He is also an Instructor for The MREA in PV (Basic, Intermediate Design, and Installation Workshops), Solar Domestic Hot Water (Basic), and a conference speaker (Maximizing Renewable Energy in Commercial Real Estate).Jack has been a NABCEP Certified Solar PV Installer®; a NABCEP Certified PV Technical Sales® professional; a Global Reporting Initiative reporter; and a Climate Reality Leadership Corps speaker. He has worked in client development for a Chicago based PV installer and now works in collaborative, direct, dealer sales for an international distributor of PV components.

He serves as a Member of the Board for the Illinois Solar Energy Association.

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.

Orion Thornton

PV Instructor

Orion has been involved in the solar energy industry for over ten years, both as an industry professional and as an advocate through education and community outreach. In 2006 Orion earned an A.A.S. degree in Photovoltaic Installation and Design from San Juan College. In 2008 he became certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as a Solar PV Installation Professional. He is currently on the board of directors for the Montana Renewable Energy Association (MREA), playing an active role in the organizations goal of promoting renewable energy awareness throughout the state.
As a partner/owner of Onsite Energy Inc., Orion focuses on commercial solar project development, but wears many hats within the company, including sales, design, installation, and operations and maintenance procedures.
Orion is a Montana native who grew up off-the grid and currently resides in net-zero energy home, powered by solar electricity, solar hot water, and wood heat. Dedicated to a lifetime of teaching, living, and working with renewable energy technologies, he is hopeful for our clean energy future.
Outside of work he tries to spend as much time as possible within the many Montana wilderness areas...backcountry snowboarding, backpacking, boating, and enjoying the open spaces.
NABCEP Technical Sales Certification #PVTS081112-69

Online

SEI online courses cover the same topics as the face-to-face workshops of the similar name, but do not include a hands-on component. You can log on at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the full duration of the specified course. You will generally need between 10-20 hrs/week to complete the lesson materials and graded activities. The earlier lessons generally take less time than the later lessons. Students can access the course anytime, from any computer with an internet connection (see computer requirements below). There are no specific times that you need to log on, the course is self paced but you must finish all graded materials by the end date of the course. The live instructors are there to give feedback, grade your work and you can contact them with questions on the forum discussion boards, or by email.